Ogdensburg bridge in good shape, but needs $100 million in repairs

The Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge is in good shape, a report says, but needs more than $100 million worth of repairs.

Meeting Wednesday, the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority reviewed a seven-page report on the 53-year-old bridges 2012 biennial inspection by the Modjeski and Masters.

The findings resulting from the 2012 biennial inspection of the Ogdensburg bridge revealed the remains in satisfactory to good condition, wrote Modjeski and Masters Senior Associate Richard A. Little to OBPA Executive Director Wade A. Davis in a letter accompanying the report.

But there are what Mr. Little called problem areas or deficiencies that, while not a safety concern, need to be repaired.

They include:

* Painting across the 1.5-mile-long span is in fair to poor condition, missing and corroding. Mr. Davis said itd cost $65 million to repair.

* Steel that has been cracked by fatigue has been repaired, but more needs to be fixed. The cost, Mr. Davis estimated, is $39 million.

* The condition of the bridges main cables and suspenders havent been investigated in-depth for 16 years. To do so would cost an estimated $900,000 and, Mr. Davis said, a possible total expense of $5 million.

Funding to pay for the repairs will be sought from what Mr. Davis called a mosaic of state and federal grants.

This is a very expensive project, he said. Well do it in phases over a number of years.

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